Чума
Part I
Inanyevent,hereiswhatTarrouhastosayaboutthebusinessoftherats:
"Today,thelittleoldmanoppositeisveryputout.Therearenomorecats.Theyhavevanished,excitedbythedeadratsthatarebeingfoundingreatnumbersinthestreets.Inmyopinion,it’snotamatterofthecatseatingthedeadrats.Irememberthatminehatedthem.Evenso,theymustberunningaroundthecellarsandthelittleoldmanisveryputout.Hishairisuntidyandheseemslesshaleandhearty.Youcanseeheisworried.Afterawhile,hewentbackinside,buthedidspit,once,intothinair.
"Intown,atramwasstoppedtodaybecausetheyfoundadeadratonit;nooneknewwhereitcamefrom.Twoorthreewomengotoff.Theratwasthrownoutandthetramdroveaway.
"Inthehotel,thenightporter,whoisareliablesort,toldmethathewasexpectingsomethingbadtocomeofalltheserats."Whentheratsleavetheship…"Irepliedthatthiswastrueinthecaseofships,butthatithadneverbeenprovedbadwheretownswereconcerned.Butheremainsconvinced.Iaskedhimwhatmisfortunehethoughtweshouldexpect.Hedidn’tknow,sincemisfortuneisimpossibletopredict—thoughhewouldn’tbesurprisedifanearthquakeweretofitthebill.IagreedthatitwaspossibleandheaskedmeifIwerenotworried.
"TheonlythingI’minterestedin,"Isaid,"istofindinnerpeace."
"Heunderstoodthatperfectly.
